ABOVE: Suzanne Ford. Photo via San Francisco Pride’s Facebook.
The San Francisco Pride board of directors have selected Suzanne Ford as executive director.
Serving as interim executive director since February of 2022, Ford will continue to spearhead the funding and operations for one of the country’s premier Pride celebrations.
“I am excited for the first trans person to hold the position of Executive Director at San Francisco Pride,” said Nguyen Pham, President of San Francisco Pride. “We are privileged to have Suzanne at the helm of many key projects as she continues to advocate for trans visibility while championing diversity in the LGBTQ+ community.”
“In joining SF Pride, I found a great way to give back to the LGBTQ+ community and I found my family,” said Ford. “I want to preserve the legacy of the parade, while making sure there will be a thriving SF Pride event for future generations. As a tight-knit team, we are excited and humbled to host the second in-person SF Pride Parade and Celebration post pandemic.”
Following a rewarding sales career in the private sector, Ford served as a board member for approximately five years, acting as treasurer for the last three of those years. She co-founded SF Pride’s Pro-Am Golf Tournament Fundraiser, the world’s first and currently only PGA-endorsed LGBTQ+ golf event, which has raised more than $200,000 over the past four years.
Ford was honored with the Legacy Award, Celebrating Trans Joy, TDOV (Trans Day of Visibility) in March of 2022. In addition to numerous accolades for raising awareness of the work that is needed to save and honor trans lives, she has also been recognized for her professional career — when she was profiled as one of the “Women Breaking The Mold” in the packaging industry by Plastic News.
Ford continues to build upon her professional and community sustaining success. Just a few short months after assuming the role of interim executive director in 2022, she was instrumental in coordinating the first in-person SF Pride Parade and Celebration since 2019 — largely touted as a success.
The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded to produce the SF Pride Celebration and Parade. The mission of the organization is to educate the world on LGBTQ+ issues, as well as commemorate the heritage, celebrate the culture and liberate the people of all LGBTQ+ communities.
A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997, SF Pride has granted over $3 million dollars in proceeds to local non-profit LGBTQ+ organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights and animal welfare.
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